Leesburg Police and Fire Departments Want Your Blood for Halloween

The City of Leesburg police and fire departments have an important safety message for Halloween: please donate your blood before a zombie attack.

Donations are very important for our community – even without zombies. A single blood donation can help to save the lives of up to three people.

To help with this vital cause, the police and fire departments are teaming with Oneblood for a special competition – the Battle of the Badges – from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, to see who can collect the most public blood donations. The annual event will be held at the corner of Canal and Magnolia streets across from the police department and Fire Station 61 in downtown Leesburg.

Donating blood is a simple and thoughtful way to help patients at hospitals and medical facilities. The demand is high – on average, blood is needed every two seconds for people across the country. More than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day.Donating also has its own rewards. All donors will receive a special edition “Save the Humans” zombie T-shirt as well as coupons for a free Chick-fil-A sandwich and a discount for bowling at AMF Lanes.

Food and refreshments will be provided.Here is how the competition works. Stop by and provide your support on Oct. 18. Donating blood doesn’t take long. One bus will receive donations on behalf of the fire department. The other bus will represent the police department. The winner is the department that receives the most donations.

Photo identification is required. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds or more. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids prior to donation.

For more information, contact Oneblood at 1-888-9-DONATE. Visit www.oneblood.org to schedule an appointment and use Sponsor Code: M75H.

Leesburg is a progressive city of more than 20,000 residents in northwest Lake County. The city government serves twice as many people with its electric, gas, water, wastewater and fiber-optic public utilities. Leesburg also is a central hub for commerce, attracting 50,000 people to work each weekday